Improvement in safety-pockets



H. L. HOPKlNS.

l Safety-Pockets.

N 145-178 Patented Dele.. 2,1873.

UNITED STATES v'PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. HOPKINS, OF MORRISVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR' OF ONE- HALF IIIS RIGHT TO ALEXANDER M. HOLMES, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-POCKETS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,178. dated Dect-miur?, 1873; application tiled v June 5, 1873.

To allwh-om it may concern Be it known that I, HARVEY L. HOPKINS, of the village of Morrisville, in the county of Madison and State of New York, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Safes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the annexed drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specication.

This invention relates to pockets in clothing. The object of this invention is to keep safely whatever is deposited or placed in a pocket, and to some extent prevent the successful operation of pickpocketsJ To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

, Figure l is a side view, and represents the safe in a pocket, with lthe outside of the pocket removed; the radius Aof the pocket is represented by dotted lines 5 a thumb and iin ger are inserted through the safe as if to take something from the pocket. Fig. 2 is alsoa side view, and represents the safe in a pocket, with the inside of the pocket removed; the radius of the pocket is here shown by dotted lines. The hand is inserted as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the safe as does Fig. 2, only the hand is withdrawn, and the rubber covers the lower edge of the steel strip itself, as will be hereinafter described. y

The same letters are used in each tgiue to represent identical parts.

A represents a piece or strip of spring-steel, which is in length made to correspond with length of pocket, and is about three-eighths of an inch in width and one-thirty-second of an inch in thickness. It is covered. with rubber cloth, which extends about one-eighth of an inch above it, forthe purpose of being sewed or otherwise fastened to one side ofthe insidel of spring-brass, and the like, or even rubber itselflg/f" but I prefer to use spring-steel, which may be covered with rubber alone, or with cloth not treated with rubber. Rubber is attached to each end of the piece of steel A, which rubber completely covers this piece in' Fig. 1, and covers the two lower corners of it in Fig. 2, and the lower edge of it in Fig. 3, and extends above said strip or piece of steel about oneeighth of an inch, as shown by short lines at C C, for the purpose of being sewed or otherwise fastened to the side of the inside of the pocket, opposite and a little above where the strip of cloth is sewed or otherwise fastened, as hereinbefore described, at B B.

It will be seen, by referring to Figs. 2 and 3, that the lower edgeof strip A is completely covered with rubber when the safe is closed, thus preventing the loss of any of the contents of the pocket. The safe is inserted and fastened, as above explained, alittle below the mouth of a pocket, so a-s not to be exposed to view.

Let it not be understood that this invention is for the purpose of keeping the mouth of a pocket closed, but to close itself within the pocket. A

What I cla-iin as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1 The herein-described safety-pocket, provided with a self-closin g flexible flap, a, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

. HARVEY L. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

CHA'nLEs H. HAwKs, WILLIAM C. GARDINER. 

